Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - History, An Ethical Dilemma, Eight Representative Cases, Refusal Of Treatment, Further Readings

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - History

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - An Ethical Dilemma

The 1975 case of Karen Ann Quinlan was publicized nationwide, illustrating the ethical dilemma that exists because of the use of modern medical equipment such as mechanical respirators and feeding tubes. Quinlan had suffered a respiratory arrest, leaving her in a permanent vegetative state. Her family, in a long legal battle, argued that their daughter would not want to be kept alive in this way, …

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - Eight Representative Cases

Recent court cases which played roles in the overall development of policy were: Sneider v. Abeliuk (California, 1997): The plaintiff sought to recover medical expenses incurred for undesired treatment rendered after a valid decision was made to withhold life support. The action was based on battery, invasion of privacy, interference with personal relationships and violation of constitutional righ…

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - Refusal Of Treatment

An individual has a constitutional right to request the withdrawal or withholding of medical treatment, even if doing so will result in the person's death. Honoring a person's right to refuse medical treatment, especially at the end of life, is the most widely practiced and accepted right to die procedure in our society. Recent debates over the futility of certain medical treatments, rationing of …

Assisted Suicide and the Right to Die - Further Readings